The present invention relates generally to a plastic film roll dispensing system and a method of operating the same, and more particularly to a new and improved system and method for automatically exchanging film roll components wherein a spent or exhausted film roll tube or core is initially removed from a film roll dispenser mounting framework, a new or fresh plastic film roll is subsequently removed from a slidable magazine upon which a plurality of new or fresh film rolls are removably mounted, and lastly, the new or fresh plastic film roll removed from the slidable magazine is subsequently mounted upon the film roll dispenser mounting framework in preparation for subsequent plastic film wrapping operations.
Plastic film roll dispensing mechanisms, wherein, for example, plastic film is dispensed from a plastic film roll during plastic film wrapping operations performed upon palletized loads, are of course well-known. Obviously, the plastic film dispensing rolls require periodic replacement when, for example, the plastic film supply disposed upon a particular plastic film roll is spent or exhausted. Accordingly, systems have been developed and implemented wherein plastic film roll components can effectively be exchanged as a result of which, for example, a spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core can be removed from its film roll dispenser mounting framework and subsequently, a new or fresh plastic film roll can be mounted upon the film roll dispenser mounting framework.
Conventional plastic film roll exchange systems, however, have not proven entirely satisfactory from the viewpoint that when, for example, a spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core is to be removed from its dispenser mounting framework and a fresh or new plastic film roll is to be mounted upon the dispenser mounting framework so as to replace the removed spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core, operator personnel are required to place a new or fresh plastic film roll at a particular position upon the plastic film roll exchange apparatus or equipment each time a spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core is to be replaced by means of a fresh or new plastic film roll. This type of plastic film roll exchange operation, however, is not only very time consuming and tedious from a manpower requirement point of view, but in addition, is in effect a wasteful operation in that in lieu of the operator personnel placing a new or fresh plastic roll of film upon the plastic film roll exchange apparatus or equipment, the operator personnel could just simply place the new or fresh plastic roll of film directly upon the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework of the overall or combination plastic film roll dispensing apparatus or machinery. In other words, such conventional plastic film roll exchange apparatus or equipment does not in fact render the plastic film roll exchange operations truly automatic, such apparatus or equipment does not actually eliminate or substantially reduce the need for operator personnel, such apparatus or equipment does not substantially reduce the amount of work required to be performed by means of such operator personnel, and such apparatus or equipment does not substantially reduce the amount of time that such operator personnel are required to devote to attending the apparatus or equipment during performance of the various plastic film wrapping operations.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved plastic film roll exchange system, and a method of operating the same, which will, in effect, render the plastic film roll core or tube and the fresh or new plastic film roll exchange operation entirely automatic whereby operator personnel need not actually be required to continuously attend or assist the operation of the system other than to possibly periodically monitor the system or service the same should, for example, an operational malfunction happen to occur.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved plastic film roll exchange system, and a method of operating the same, which can automatically replace an exhausted or spent plastic film roll tube or core with a fresh or new plastic film roll.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved plastic film roll exchange system, and a method of operating the same, which can automatically replace an exhausted or spent plastic film roll tube or core with a fresh or new plastic film roll so as to effectively overcome the various operational disadvantages or drawbacks characteristic of the PRIOR ART plastic film roll exchange systems or apparatus.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved plastic film roll exchange system, and a method of operating the same, which automatically replaces an exhausted or spent plastic film roll tube or core with a fresh or new plastic film roll by automatically removing the spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core from its dispenser mounting framework and mounting the fresh or new plastic film roll upon the dispenser mounting framework.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved plastic film roll exchange system, and a method of operating the same, which automatically replaces an exhausted or spent plastic film roll tube or core with a fresh or new plastic film roll by automatically removing the spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core from a dispenser mounting framework, removing a fresh or new plastic film roll from a plastic film roll magazine upon which a plurality of plastic film rolls are mounted, and mounting the fresh or new plastic film roll upon the dispenser mounting framework without requiring operator personnel to attend the apparatus or equipment comprising the system or to assist its operation during the exchange process.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved plastic film roll exchange system, and a method of operating the same, which comprises three major operating components. The first major operating component of the system comprises a plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework upon which a plastic film roll is mounted for dispensing plastic film during, for example, a palletized load plastic film wrapping operation. The second major operating component of the system comprises a plastic film roll magazine which is laterally spaced from the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework and which is adapted to movably mount a plurality of new or fresh plastic film rolls thereon, while in addition, the plastic film roll magazine is also adapted to receive spent or exhausted plastic film roll tubes or cores removed from the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework. The third major operating component of the system comprises an exchange mechanism which is interposed between the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework and the plastic film roll magazine and is adapted to be movable in both translational and rotational modes so as to remove a spent or exhaust plastic film roll tube or core from the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework, so as to remove a new or fresh plastic film roll from the plastic film roll magazine, and to perform an exchange operation wherein a new or fresh plastic film roll is exchanged for a spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core whereby the new or fresh plastic film roll will be mounted upon the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework while the previously removed spent or exhausted plastic film roll tube or core will be mounted upon the plastic film roll magazine. The system is then readied for a new plastic film roll exchange operation when the same is required upon the depletion or exhaustion of the new or fresh plastic film roll deposited and now disposed upon the plastic film roll dispenser mounting framework.